HouseMath 2.0 - A YUI-EXT/Ruby/Rails site - Real Estate Math

I am enclosing a note I sent Jack explaining the site. He encouraged me to post it on the blog. The old version (PHP) has been up for a year. The new version - YUI-ext/Ruby/Rails if brand new and still beta and I am still looking for feedback, ergo this post. I am getting lots of input on the real estate nuances, but would like to get some thoughts on the use of YUI-ext since the site is completely written using that technology....

I have said it before, but I'll say again just how much I am enjoying yui-ext. Really, well done.

I had a site that I put together about a year ago: http://www.housemath.us. The site does some heavier than usual analytics of home purchases, specifially in New York. I was about to re-write everything in Ruby and use the usual Ruby javascript libaries (Scriptaculous, Prototype). I have also had experience with some components from Rico that I used in another project and was considering using them again. So, I took a look at YUI and, as your blog mentioned correctly, it felt incomplete. Then I started looking at YUI-ext and was getting increasingly psyched. When the grid with editors came out -- the deal was sealed. And the Layout component was the icing on the cake.

So, the new site is now beta: http://beta.housemath.us - and it is build entirely on YUI-EXT as a javascript library and Ruby/Rails as the language and engine. I had to make some modifications to the grid that you will recognize (this was before you had your "parameter grid"). Other than that, it's pretty much out of the box except that all the YUI is done with rails helpers and all the components are dynamically generated by ruby. But everything else -- animations, dialogs, grid, tabs, layouts are yui-ext.

I have done a bit of work on the admin screens for the site where things like Ajax hookup to your grid directly from Rails ActiveRecord is also working nicely.

Anyway, I know that if I had written something like your library I would enjoy seeing real applications where it is used. Take a look at what I have. It will be done with beta sometime in December when I flip the switch on the old site and point it to the new one. Feel free to use this as an example of a site that's free, open-source, and build using thecnology you wrote.

Getting rid of prototype -- thought about it. It would mean re-writing the Ajax helpers that are included with rails to use the YUI way of doing Ajax. I know about the cycles :?
Since most of the performance issues are JavaScript and not DB/Rails related, I thought I would let people who know about the stuff hit the beta site and give me their thoughts.

Slightly fussy layout, but functional. Perhaps is just that the colours jar a bit.

Also, the help panels are loaded over the network every time - you should really cache the Dialog (I'd go for a BasicDialog every time rather than a YUI Panel) once created. Think about adding a KeyListener so that ESC dismisses the help, and a document click listener so that clicks outside the help panel also dismisses it. I used these ideas on http://www.yui-ext.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1135

Maybe the "New York Condo Deal Parameters" tab could contain an accordion layout like Jack's Download dialog? Where each section can be expanded to be viewed/filled in. Right now, it shows immediately as being scrolled way off the screen which can be a bit offputting.

Lose the little south region. Put that in some kind of "About" or "Help" popup.

After much feedback...

The UI was positively received, especially by several old friends from Silicon Valley, supposedly on the "technical edge." Now, it's time to add new cities and interview more real estate agents for correct content.